Turning memories into treasure

Orange County jewelry designers Lily Magaziner, left, and Selima Berisha with their jewelry line Vera Veda on display at Fleur de Lys in Costa Mesa. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Lily Magaziner, left, and Selima Berisha designed their own line of jewelry called Vera Veda. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Jewelry made by Vera Veda in Orange County and for sale at Fleur de Lys in Costa Mesa have prices ranging from $18 to $58. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Jewelry made by Vera Veda in Orange County. Cast from a rock and using recycled metals, the brass triangular shaped jewelry sells for $58 at Fleur de Lys in Costa Mesa while the top one sells for $48. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

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Bracelets made by Vera Veda in Orange County are cast from rock and using recycled metals, the bracelets sell for $38 at Fleur de Lys in Costa Mesa. STEVEN GEORGES, FOR THE REGISTER

"The demographic is a lot broader than we originally expected," Magaziner added.

Price profile: Everything is under $60

"We wanted to keep the line accessible to everyone," Magaziner said. "We have a lot of pieces that can be stacked so we wanted to keep the price low."

One woman's memory is another's treasure. Make that two women's memories.

You might look at the pieces in Vera Veda debut collection and see reclaimed metal shaped into rings, necklaces and bracelets, but O.C. designers Lily Magaziner and Selima Berisha see special moments in their lives. A heart-shaped rock gifted from mother to daughter. A Vespa driven around town. A piece of home.

"We both are just sentimental from these things that we keep from our travels or that our moms sent us," Magaziner said. "We wanted to carry that over through the line."

And they want their customers to make their own memories with the pieces, the way one man did when he proposed to his girlfriend with the Sloane circle ring. The designers later received a photo of the happy bride-to-be.

Vera Veda is a brain child of the two Orange County residents who met through mutual friends and quickly discovered that they have similar aesthetics and work style.

"I had wanted to start a jewelry line and a few weeks later I met Selima and all the pieces fell into place," said Magaziner who used to work for a jewelry company. "We didn't want the shiny, brand new, disposable jewelry. We wanted the look you get from owning the piece and wearing it for many years."

No gem or any other sparkle to catch your eye here and that's just how Berisha likes it as well.

"I'm from Seattle so I have the grunge thing in me that will never go away, from my Kurt Cobain days," she said, pointing out that Vera Veda's Kurt necklace is named after the late singer.

Since both have full-time jobs, the designers-turned-friends met after work for about a year before their Heritage collection made its debut in November to the praise and support from family and friends.

The line, produced entirely in Southern California, strikes a balance between the grunge, vintage inspiration and the sleek, modern look with a definite cool factor. The pieces are strong enough to make a statement on their own but dainty enough to be mixed in with other accessories or appeal to customers seeking a more subtle look.

One example: the heart-shaped Miss Rosie necklace. Inspired by the designers' moms' habit of finding heart-shaped rocks and giving them to their daughters, it's been a hit with other mothers out there.

"That heart is something that's very meaningful to us both," Berisha said.

Several months after Vera Veda's launch, an acquaintance who happens to oversee jewelry at Fleur de Lys in Costa Mesa, suggested a Vera Veda trunk show. The experience was so successful that a few weeks ago, she offered to carry the line at the boutique. "We thought it would fit well in the shop and it does," said Jennifer Lynch, a sales associate at Fleur de Lys. "We love that it's a little different. It stands out. You can tell there's a lot of love and passion in the jewelry."

Magaziner and Berisha are scheduled for another Fleur de Lys trunk show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 22.

"It's all kind of taken off unexpectedly. It's definitely an encouragement for us to keep going," Magaziner said.

"We hope that it continues to grow," Berisha said. "Hopefully, this can continue to be a way for Lily and I to be creative and fulfill that creative need."

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